By Sally Nyakanyanga
Life rarely follows a straight line — and for Talent Kadzutu (32), it began with loss. But hers is a story of what can grow from that loss when faith, hard work, and a caring community stand behind someone determined not to be defined by it.
Kadzutu, is one of more than 50 young people who have graduated from care through the Kuda Vana Partnership (a locally based NGO supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children).
Of those, almost 20 have gone on to graduate from tertiary education and step into careers across a range of fields — proof that the support she describes is not a single success story, but a growing pattern of lives rebuilt.
A Childhood Built on Loss and Belonging
Kadzutu, lost her father when she was just five years old. “I never had the opportunity to grow up under his care,” she reflects.
“I also grew up without knowing my paternal family.” By the age of two, she was already living with her maternal grandmother in the rural home — a grandmother who, after Kadzutu’s mother died, took on the full weight of raising both her and her sibling.
Even before that second devastating loss, support had begun to arrive. When Kadzutu was seven years old, the Kuda Vana Partnership (KVP) reached her family while the Children’s Home was still under construction.
Talent Kadzutu and KVP Director
For two years after her mother’s death, Kadzutu, her grandmother, sibling worked in exchange for food, stationery, and school fees.
When Kadzutu reached secondary level, KVP recognised how precarious her situation had become and formally arranged her admission through the Department of Social Services.
Looking back, Talent doesn’t mince words about what might have been. “Without KVP, my life could have been very different. I might have ended up struggling on the streets, trying to survive.” Instead, KVP gave her something far more durable: hope, education, and a foundation she still builds on today.
Overcoming Obstacles and Academic Persistence
When Kadzutu Ordinary-Level results in fell short, she didn’t quit — she adapted.
She moved to Chinhoyi and worked as a maid, rewriting her exams while caring for a seven-month-old baby and a three-year-old toddler, and attending night classes whenever she could.
With continued support from KVP, she kept going until she finally secured six O-Level subjects.
“Some people may see this as a non-event,” she says, “but they do not know the journey behind them.”
For Kadzutu, this document is a testament of perseverance — evidence of a refusal to give up, no matter how long the road.
KVP Director, William Pepukai has this to say, “Kadzutu’s journey reminds us why this work matters — she came to us as a child carrying so much loss, and she leaves us as a young woman carrying purpose.”
Navigating Family Re-Integration
Kuda Vana strongly promotes family re-integration, recognizing that connection to kin is essential.
For Talent, reunification was wonderfully rich yet complex.
She has managed to maintain a close bond with her elderly maternal grandmother and located safe paternal relatives in 2019. She stated that, reconnecting with family brought both healing and hard truths.
She said, “Not every reunion was gentle, some ties to her mother’s side carry painful memories she is still healing from. Reflecting on this, she notes that, “reunification is only truly meaningful when it offers genuine love, acceptance, and a safe environment for the child.”
Mentorship and Lifelong Support
A true hallmark of Kuda Vana’s care model is that support never expires. Kadzutu’s success is intertwined with mentors who refused to let go.
She mentioned that, KVP Director William Pepukai, “made me feel like part of the family even after aging out of care.” Kadzutu, credits much of her strength to the mentors who never let her feel alone. She still carries the words of social worker Milton Maregwede,
“Talent, you can do it. Keep on excelling.” Knowing others believed in her gave her the confidence to keep pushing forward, even when the path was uncertain.
Pepukai added that, as KVP, they are proud of what Kadzutu has become, and will always consider her part of the Kuda Vana family.
Stepping Into Independence and the Future
Determined to create flexibility for herself in a tough job market, Talent completed a two-year Diploma in Business Administration at the Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA). She also nurtures a growing passion for sewing, with KVP’s support.
Her ambition is to become her own boss in both fabrics making and in the administration field.
Stepping across the threshold into independent living, Kadzutu says, “Independent living is both exciting and challenging. To be honest, I cannot say everything about this journey is easy because life can sometimes feel uncertain.”
While she cherishes her autonomy, she acknowledges the hurdles of leaving care without an immediate safety net. Having a trusted network like KVP made all the difference.
Armed with grit, faith, and the enduring embrace of her Kuda Vana family, Talent Kadzutu stands tall as a living testament to what a care leaver can achieve when given the tools and belief to conquer the world.
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